Rainy afternoon...craft time...

Another rainy afternoon, now I know I should be a bit fed up with all the rain we are getting at the moment, Hey it is the British summer time after all. When it rains this hard I feel it gives me just the excuse I need to ignore the gardening (unless I take up underwater gardening) and to just simple NOT DO the housework because that would make me just plain boring...no, a rainy afternoon is just the thing I need to get on with some guilt free crafting time... Its the end of the school year and I am caught up in a flurry of school trips, PTA events (baking cakes)! and end of term productions...Drama, Violin, Choir, the list goes on. I am so enjoying seeing the fruit of all the years work, also a little sad that the first school year for my little one is nearly over. I was in his classroom today (helping with a school activity) as the teacher ran through the itinerary with the children I looked around at the lack of personality to their cosy class room, the things that made this class room theirs...their name badges, the words of the year, the home corner, reading corner and of course all their fabulous art work...all areas now clear and I presume put in bags for them to bring home on the last day of term...
So whilst the rain came down later in the day and I found myself sitting at the kitchen table planning the weeks baking I thought I would add a bit of colour to the cakes I was needing to bake. So I popped into my craft cupboard and pulled out a few favourites...
After punching many, many perfect circles...with a little bit of sticky tape and a few colourful plastic (hygienic) sticks...
...there you have it, little flag style toppers suitable for the best sand castles or to decorate cakes with...
So the baking begins and the list is a long one, the cakes are made first so I can nibble on them whilst I cook...

TIP... if you bake a lot of cakes and like me, you get a bit fed up making butter icing...make it in large batches (as long as your butter is well in its best before date) and store it in plastic boxes (similar to the ones you get at take aways) and keep them in the fridge. Take them out a good hour before baking to soften the icing and if desired you can mix in colour or flavour (vanilla, almond etc...). The children like helping me with the batches as we usually end up with a Kitchen like a Christmas snow scene.